Alsophila dregei (Cyathea dregei) (100 seeds)

Alsophila dregei. Common tree fern. It has a black or dark brown trunk, usually unbranched, 200–450 mm in diameter, up to 900 mm at the base in old specimens, and can grow up to 7 m tall, more commonly only about 3 m tall. It produces a compact crown of up to 30, arching, 2-pinnatifid to pinnate fronds, up to 3 m long, that are a bright dark green above and paler below. Pinnae (leaflets) are thick, with an entire or weakly toothed margin, and there are up to 18 pinna pairs. The leaflets have minute, loose, scales and hairs at first. The leaf stalk and rachis are covered with rusty brown hairs and scales, becoming less hairy to hairless, and the stalk is prickly at the base. Sowing : These spores are of microscopic size and will produce a translucent moss-like growth called a prothallus a few weeks after sowing. From this, the actual plants will grow. Reproducing ferns from spores requires patience and very clean equipment to avoid infections with bacteria, fungus or mosses. plastic container is best for sowing spores. Plant pots are usually too tall. Fill the tray with a few centimeters of substrate such as peat, sphagnum, perlite or a mix from a bag. Sterelize. sparingly sprinkle the spores on the surface. Bad results often come from sowing the spore too densely. Cover with a sheet of glass or plastic wrap, leaving a very small gap for ventilation, and place in a well lit spot but out of direct sunlight as that could overheat the container. Keep at around 20°C or a little warmer for lowland tropical tree ferns. You should see some condensation on the cover. Locality: Graskop. Harvest: April 2022